Creating functionality through retail packaging can give your product or brand the extra push it needs to get it off the shelf and into your consumers hands. Packaging is usually designed with the purpose of a few things: shipping, protecting and branding your products. What if you could take that one step further and design your packaging so that it interacts with your products and you consumer?
The first step to creating functionality through retail packaging is to observe how your current consumers are using your products. Create lists of who your current customers are, where they use your products, how they use your products and the times they use your products. With these lists starting asking yourself questions such as: Is there something that they could use to make using your product easier? Is there something I could offer as a bonus to make the product better?
Think about the amount of accessories that have come out to accommodate the mobile and tablet market. Cases, stands, and cables are just a few of the many products that you will find when looking for an accessory. Take tablet stands for example, what if you were to create packaging for a tablet that had a stand designed and perforated into the actual tablet box? Doesn’t seem overly complicated does it?
Now think about your product. Does your product require any accessories? Could those accessories be made out of cardboard or folding carton? Think about each item your product has. If it is an electronic does it have cables? Knowing that cables can create clutter, why not design perforated cable straps or even better a small box to hide excess cables in.
Some food companies have also started building utensils into their packaging designs. With folding carton it is quite simple to die cut spoons. This works very well when your product uses a die cut wrapper to go around your product. By creating the spoon into the packaging, not only are you creating convenience for the consumer, but you are eliminating plastic waste!
What if your product doesn’t require any accessories or the accessories it does require can’t be created with cardboard or paper based packaging? Another solution is to create functionality through graphic design. Creating a user friendly product can be as simple as designing extremely easy understand directions. By creating a three to five step process through illustrations on the packaging itself could be enough to sway a consumer to purchase your product.
Are you interested in functionality for your packaging? We love to talk packaging and we love to brainstorm on ideas! Contact us today to set up a consultation.
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